LAWRENCE, MI — A 74-year-old Lawrence man is in the Van Buren County Jail after being charged with first degree home invasion stemming from an incident where he allegedly stole several hundred dollars from a wallet and used it for gambling.

MLive.com file

According to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a complaint of larceny from a home in the 51000 block of County Road 681 in Lawrence in which the complainant reported $120 had been stolen from the wallet in his pants on Jan. 11 or 12. The complainant also informed deputies that on the night of Jan. 15, another $400 went missing.

Police said the homeowner decided to set up a camera system and left his pants in the same location with $50 inside. When he awoke on Jan. 18, he found $15 missing. The homeowner checked the cameras and found images of a 74-year-old male who is known to the victim, police said.

The camera shows the male enter through the kitchen door, stand over the kitchen table and look through the victim's wallet while the victim's wife sat watching television 20 feet away with her back to the suspect, investigators said. The camera shows the wife getting up to let the dog out before bed minutes after the suspect left.

Deputies completed a search warrant and served it on the home of
the suspect at 58839 48th Ave., Lawrence. The 74-year-old male was taken into
custody on a charge of first degree home invasion, police said. The first degree charge
stems from the presence of residents in the home during the invasion.

Police said it appears the man went to the Four Winds Casino in Hartford immediately after leaving the victims home. Investigators said the man was at the casino for about 90 minutes before leaving.

Deputies said drug residue was also found in the suspect's home.

The suspect's name is being withheld pending arraignment.

Alex Mitchell covers county government and taxes for the Kalamazoo Gazette. Email him at amitche5@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.